Jobless rate for August dips in region, Effingham

ATLANTA —The Georgia Department of Labor announced that the unemployment rate in the Coastal Georgia region decreased to 8.5 percent in August, down eight-tenths of a percentage point from 9.3 percent in July. The rate was 9.1 percent in August a year ago.

Unemployment in metro Savannah declined to 7.8 percent for August, down from 8.6 percent in July and 8.6 percent in August 2012.

Effingham County’s jobless rate fell to 6.9 percent from July’s level of 7.5 percent. Unemployment was at 7.4 percent in August 2012. The number of unemployed dropped from 2,079 from July to 1,874 in August, though the labor force also decreased from 27,668 to 27,234.

The rate in the Coastal Georgia region dropped because there was a significant reduction in layoffs. There were 2,011 new layoffs, represented by initial claims for unemployment insurance, which are 1,075, or 34.8 percent, fewer than the 3,086 in July. Much of the decline came in manufacturing, with additional reductions in trade, transportation and warehousing, administrative and support services, accommodations and food services, and construction.

Over the year, the number of initial claims was down by 789, or 28.2 percent, from 2,800 in August 2012. Reductions were mostly in trade, transportation and warehousing, administrative and support services, manufacturing, and construction.

The labor force, which is the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work, declined by 4,542 to 314,716 in August, down from 319,258 in July. And, it was also down by 4,609 from 319,325 in August 2012.

The Metro Savannah unemployment rate dropped because there was a significant reduction in layoffs. There were 1,195 new layoffs, represented by initial claims for unemployment insurance, which are 223, or 15.7 percent, fewer than the 1,418 in July. Much of the decline came in transportation and warehousing, construction, administrative and support services, and accommodations and food services.

Over the year, the number of initial claims in metro Savannah was down by 386, or 24.4 percent, from 1,581 in August 2012. Reductions were mostly in manufacturing and construction, trade, transportation and warehousing, health care and social assistance, accommodations and food services, and administrative and support services.

The labor force, which is the number of people employed plus those unemployed but actively looking for work, declined by 3,189 to 178,576 in August, down from 181,765 in July. And, it was also down by 3,377 from 181,953 in August 2012.

Metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 6.1 percent, while the Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 11.9 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August was 8.7 percent, down from 8.8 percent in July. The rate was 9.0 percent in August a year ago.